Madrid: Mercado de San Miguel

I’m fresh off of my trip to Europe and boy do I have some great things to share with you! History has taught my bestie Kimya and I that whenever we’re together, all hell breaks loose, so we knew we were in for the adventure of our lives…but nothing could have prepared us for what we encountered on this trip. If I had to give a frame (or frames) of reference, I’d have to say that this trip was a combination of Eat Pray Love, Thelma and Louise and The Bucket List.

Our first stop in Europe…Madrid, Spain.

We only had one night in Madrid before heading over to Rome, so we wanted to make the most of it. And after practically starving myself in preparation for the bikini portion of the trip, I knew that the first thing I would be seeking was FOOD…quite a change from the shopping I normally look for first. Since Spain is where Tapas (small appetizers or snacks) originates from, my bestie and I went in search of the best tapas we could find…and man did we ever! During our walking tour, we stumbled on the Mercado de San Miguel (or Market of San Miguel), located near the Plaza de Mayor. This market contains a veritable smorgasbord of every type of tapas you can think of from seafood to pastries AND they even sell accessories like scarves, hair clips and hats! The best part…all of the tapas in this market is priced under $5 euro, which is quite cheap in Europe. You can literally go to this market on an empty stomach and come out completely stuffed for less than $10 euro. So you know what we did?…ATE! We sampled EVERYTHING and it was some of the most amazing food we both had ever tasted. Did I feel like a pig after? Absolutely NOT! One of the best things about cities like Madrid and pretty much any city in Europe is that you have to walk a lot, which is great for working off all of the food you take in.

Here are some shots of the market and its offerings:

Outside the Mercado de San MiguelFresh, Exotic FruitsFresh FishMini Hamburgers and Small SandwichesAssorted PastriesLegumes and BeansAssorted YogurtsCookies and PretzelsAssorted Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic BeveragesScarves and Other AccessoriesAssorted Meats

Are you hungry yet? I know I am! If you ever find yourself in Madrid, the Mercado de San Miguel is a MUST DO!